Due to the practice of animal domestication, people across a broad range of geographical regions and cultures maintain pets that reside within their domiciles or other indoor locations. This has led to a demand for specialized products to aid pet owners in conveniently managing indoor pet care. Litters, for example, are disposable packaged materials designed to deal with animal waste while dispelling odor and enabling expedient (and ideally infrequent) cleanup. Animal beddings are a broader class of products that can provide a natural platform for animals to rest indoors, often in cages.
An ever-increasing global population continues to fuel a plethora of sustainability concerns affecting many pet products including litter (e.g., cat litter) and other beddings (e.g., for rabbit cages). Additionally, concerns relating to climate change and fossil fuel consumption continue to drive innovators to develop more efficient processes for deriving maximum utility from renewable sources.
Existing litters have various limitations and issues that may stem from their compositions. For example, clay-based products may contain silica, which can cause respiratory problems for pets and/or human owners. Furthermore, clay is neither a renewable material nor is it organic in composition. On the other hand, corn-based products may contain carcinogenic substances such as mycotoxins (e.g., aflatoxin). Likewise, wood-based products are also problematic as they can disintegrate and create excessive dust.
Similar sustainability concerns arise regarding the disposal of diaper products (e.g., human diapers, animal diapers, sanitary napkins). The typical disposable diaper is estimated to take over 500 years to degrade through natural processes. Moreover, numerous issues relating to landfills, including the limited availability of space and public health concerns, have been the focus of both government and industry officials. In response, there has been heightened interest in natural (e.g., plant-based, biodegradable) alternatives to those items that take an extended period of time to degrade.